Nigeria: Ecobank Reports 194 Percent Surge in Lending to Women-Led Businesses

Ecobank Group has said it recorded a 194 per cent increase in lending to registered women-led businesses, extending $780 million in loans in 2025, up from $265 million in 2024, as its gender-focused initiatives accelerate entrepreneurship and local economic growth across Africa.

This was revealed through the launch of the Ecobank Gender Programme Report, in commemoration of International Women's Day (IWD) 2026.

Women entrepreneurs play a vital role in Africa's economies, creating jobs, supporting families and strengthening local value chains. Yet despite high levels of entrepreneurship, women-led businesses across the continent continue to face a $42 billion financing gap, limiting their ability to scale, invest and grow.

Through its gender-focused initiatives, the bank is working to close this gap by combining tailored financial products with training, mentoring and improved access to regional markets, enabling women entrepreneurs grow sustainable businesses.

Group Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank, Jeremy Awori said: "Women entrepreneurs are among the most powerful drivers of local economic growth across Africa, yet many still face barriers to finance that limit their ability to scale. At Ecobank, we are working to close this gap by combining capital, capability building and market access through our pan-African platform.

"The strong growth in lending to women-led businesses reflects both the demand from entrepreneurs and the impact of initiatives such as Ellevate and our Gender Bond, which help mobilise capital specifically to support women-led growth."

Expanding access to finance, business support and continental opportunities Initially launched in November 2020 to support women-led businesses affected by the Covid-19 crisis, Ecobank's Ellevate programme has grown into the most geographically expansive women's banking initiative on the continent, supporting over 103,000 registered women entrepreneurs across Africa.

Following its expansion across 26 countries in West, Central, East and Southern Africa in 2025, the programme saw an additional 21,000 women entrepreneurs enrolled into the ecosystem while more than 24,000 women received training, mentoring or other non-financial support.

The programme also connects women-led businesses to continental trade opportunities through the Ecobank Single Market Trade Hub, enabling entrepreneurs to reach customers and partners across African markets and expand beyond their home countries.

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